Mobile medical cart

ABSTRACT

A medical cart having a chassis with a plurality of wheels attached thereto; a plurality of drawers supported on the chassis; a temperature-regulated compartment in the chassis; a locking bar pivotally attached to the chassis; a headwall mount attached to the chassis; a display mounted on the chassis; and a positionable task light attached to the chassis. Each drawer includes a drawer lock shiftable between a locked position and an unlocked position. The locking bar is shiftable between a locked position and an unlocked position so that the locking bar serves as a secondary safety lock for all the drawers and the door of the temperature-regulated compartment.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application is a continuation of continuation-in-part (CIP),application Ser. No. 15/975,177, filed on May 9, 2018, and entitled“MOBILE MEDICAL CART”, which claims priority to U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 15/728,639, filed on Oct. 10, 2017, and entitled “OBSTETRICHEMORRHAGE CART”, now patent Ser. No. 10/045,829, issued Aug. 14, 2018.These previously filed applications are hereby incorporated by referencein their entireties into the present application.

BACKGROUND

Mobile carts for transporting various medical supplies, such as blood,pharmaceuticals, breast milk, etc., are commonly used in hospitals andother healthcare facilities. Such carts must often be configured toaccount for special handling requirements of particular medicalsupplies. For example, some medical supplies must be refrigerated, someare prone to theft, and others must be quickly accessed for emergencies.

Medical carts have been developed to try to address some of theserequirements. For example, some carts include multiple compartments forstoring and segregating different items, some carts include securityfeatures on the drawers for locking particular medical supplies in thecarts to prevent theft, and other carts have refrigerated compartmentsfor storing temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals. However, no knowncart addresses all of these requirements and others while still beingportable and easily accessible for medical emergencies.

This background discussion is intended to provide information related tothe present invention which is not necessarily prior art.

SUMMARY

The present invention solves the above-described problems and provides adistinct advance in the art of mobile carts for healthcare environments.More particularly, the present invention provides a versatile medicalcart for diagnosis, analysis, and/or treatment that enables the storageand transportation of medical supplies in a highly-organized and securemanner.

A medical cart constructed according to one embodiment of the presentinvention broadly includes a chassis, a plurality of drawers, atemperature-regulated compartment, a locking bar, a headwall mount, adisplay, and a positionable task light. The chassis is provided forsupporting the other components of the cart and includes a plurality ofwheels attached thereto. The drawers are supported on the chassis andare provided for storing medical supplies. Each drawer includes a drawerlock shiftable between a locked position in which it prevents the drawerfrom opening and an unlocked position in which it allows the drawer toopen.

The temperature-regulated compartment is also supported on the chassisfor storing temperature-sensitive medical supplies. Thetemperature-regulated compartment includes a storage space with a door,a lock shiftable between a locked position in which it prevents the doorfrom opening and an unlocked position in which it allows the door toopen, and a temperature regulating unit that regulates a temperature ofthe storage space at a predetermined temperature.

The locking bar is pivotally attached to the chassis and acts as asecondary locking device for all the drawers and thetemperature-regulated compartment to prevent unauthorized access to thedrawers and temperature-regulated compartment. The locking bar isshiftable between a locked position in which it prevents the opening ofall the drawers and the door of the temperature-regulated compartmentand an unlocked position in which it allows the drawers to open when thedrawer locks are in their unlocked positions and allows the door of thetemperature-regulated compartment to open when the door lock is in itsunlocked position.

The headwall mount is attached to the chassis for mounting itemsnormally mounted on a bedside wall, such as suction cups, breast pumps,etc. The headwall mount has a vertically adjustable bar and a horizontalcross bar.

The display is mounted on the chassis for displaying information relatedto medical supplies stored in the medical cart or patient-relatedinformation.

The positionable task light is attached to the chassis and providesadditional light for working around the medical cart. The positionabletask light includes a deformable body portion and a light source.

A medical cart constructed in accordance with another embodiment of theinvention also includes drawer mounts disposed inside the chassis and aplurality of interchangeable drawer slides attached to the plurality ofdrawers and removably attachable to the plurality of drawer mounts sothat the drawer slides may be placed on different mounts, therebyallowing different-sized drawers to be mounted to the chassis.

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in asimplified form that are further described below in the detaileddescription. This summary is not intended to identify key features oressential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended tobe used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Other aspectsand advantages of the present invention will be apparent from thefollowing detailed description of the embodiments and the accompanyingdrawing figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below withreference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cart constructed in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the cart of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the cart of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a front elevation view of the cart of FIG. 1 with a scaledrawer in an open position;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the cart of FIG. 4 with the scale draweropen;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the cart of FIG. 4 with the scale draweropen and a disposable container mounted thereon;

FIG. 7 is a side perspective view of a side wall of the cart of FIG. 1,illustrating mounting holes and ventilation holes formed therethrough;

FIG. 8 is a front perspective view of the cart of FIG. 1 with a lockingbar pivoted to a disengaged position;

FIG. 9 is a back perspective view of the cart of FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is a front perspective view of a disposable container forattachment to the scale of FIG. 4, including a bag welded to andextending outward around an open-topped enclosure for receivingmaterials to be weighted by the scale; and

FIG. 11 is a front perspective view of the disposable container of FIG.11 with the bag pulled upward and tied up for disposal.

The drawing figures do not limit the present invention to the specificembodiments disclosed and described herein. The drawings are notnecessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearlyillustrating the principles of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

The following detailed description of the invention references theaccompanying drawings that illustrate specific embodiments in which theinvention can be practiced. The embodiments are intended to describeaspects of the invention in sufficient detail to enable those skilled inthe art to practice the invention. Other embodiments can be utilized andchanges can be made without departing from the scope of the presentinvention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to betaken in a limiting sense. The scope of the present invention is definedonly by the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents towhich such claims are entitled.

In this description, references to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, or“embodiments” mean that the feature or features being referred to areincluded in at least one embodiment of the technology. Separatereferences to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, or “embodiments” inthis description do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment and arealso not mutually exclusive unless so stated and/or except as will bereadily apparent to those skilled in the art from the description. Forexample, a feature, structure, act, etc. described in one embodiment mayalso be included in other embodiments, but is not necessarily included.Thus, the present technology can include a variety of combinationsand/or integrations of the embodiments described herein.

Turning now to the drawing figures, and particularly FIG. 1, a medicalcart 10 constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of theinvention is illustrated. The cart 10 constructed in accordance withthis embodiment may broadly include a chassis 12, a plurality of drawers14, a temperature-regulated compartment 16, a locking bar 18, a headwallmount 20, a display 22, a positionable task light 24, and a power source26 (shown in FIG. 9).

The chassis 12 may include a frame 28 and a plurality of wheels 30 onwhich the frame 28 may travel. The frame 28 may be configured forattaching various components of the cart 10. For example, the frame 28may include a base 32, a top surface 34 opposite the base 32, a backwall 36, an opposing front wall 38, and two opposing side walls 40,42,all of which may join to enclose a space within the chassis 12. In someembodiments of the invention, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the side walls40,42 may include a plurality of mounting holes 44 and ventilation holes46, allowing reconfigurability or customization of the drawers 14, usingany quantity and size of drawers 14. The plurality of ventilation holes46 can likewise allow the temperature-regulated compartment 16 to berepositioned along a height of the chassis 12, while still providing anopening through which hot air from the temperature-regulated compartment16 may be expelled. In some embodiments of the invention, at least oneof the side walls 40,42 may include an outer panel and an inner panelspaced apart from each other, with the inner panel including theventilation holes 46 such that heat expelled from thetemperature-regulated compartment 16 through the ventilation holes 46 isforced between the inner and outer panels and exits into the spacewithin the chassis 12 through one of the other holes along the innerpanel, above or below the temperature-regulated compartment 16.

The front wall 38 and at least one of the side walls 40,42 may have oneor more openings formed therein, allowing the drawers 14 to slide intoand out of the chassis 12, as well as providing access to thetemperature-regulated compartment 16, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 8. Theplurality of wheels 30 may include four wheels and may be attached tothe base. However, the chassis 12 may include any quantity of wheelswithout departing from the scope of the invention. In some embodimentsof the invention, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the chassis 12 may alsoinclude a handle 48 attached to one of the side walls 40,42, the frontwall 38, and/or the back wall 36.

As illustrated in FIG. 9, the chassis 12 may further comprise drawermounts 50 installed within the frame 28, such as along interior surfacesof the front, back, or side walls 36,38,40,42 and/or along the base 32or top surface 34 of the frame 28. Specifically, the drawer mounts 50may be installed in any combination along a height of the chassis 12.The drawer mounts 50 may have a uniform height between each pair ofdrawer mounts 50, or the drawer mounts 50 may have different heightsbetween each pair of drawer mounts 50. The drawer mounts 50 may includerails, ledges, or other protrusions or depressions sized, shaped, andoriented for supporting the drawers 14 and/or allowing the drawers 14 toslide into and out of the chassis 12. For example, the drawer mounts 50may include rails that are screwed into or otherwise anchored to theholes 44 formed into the side walls 40,42 of the chassis 12, asdescribed above. By screwing the drawer mounts 50 into a different setof the side wall holes 44, the drawers 14 of the cart 10 may bereconfigured or exchanged for different sizes of drawers 14. A side wall40,42 may also include a procedure shelf 52 pivotably attached to theside wall 40,42. As shown in FIG. 2, the procedure shelf 52 may fold outto provide a surface next to the top surface 34 of the frame 28. Theprocedure shelf 52 may also fold down positioned in a downward directionas shown in FIG. 5.

One or more surfaces of the chassis 12, such as the top surface 34,handle 48, or procedure shelf 52 may be constructed of antimicrobialmaterial and/or completely or partially coated with an antimicrobialmaterial. The antimicrobial material may be any material that inhibitsthe growth of pathogenic microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, yeast,algae, mold, and/or viruses, etc. The material may be a metal such ascopper, silver, gold, etc., or an alloy such as brass, bronze,cupronickel, copper-nickel-zinc, or others. Additionally oralternatively, the material may be polymers, polymeric biocides,organosilanes, or the like. In some embodiments of the invention, anunderside of the top surface 34 of the chassis 12 may have a notchformed or molded therein, into which a locking mechanism may extend forlocking a top-most one of the drawers 14 or temperature-regulatedcompartment 16.

The drawers 14 are provided as storage compartments for the variousmedical supplies such as medications, intravenous fluids, blood fortransfusions, a portable ultrasound machine, and/or scales. The drawers14 may each include a front wall, a back wall, opposing side walls, anda bottom wall forming a container with an open top through whichsupplies may be accessed. The drawers 14 may each also include a handle54 attached to or integrally formed with the front wall thereof.Furthermore, the drawers 14 may each include drawer slides 56. Thedrawer slides 56 may be attached to exterior surfaces of the side wallsof the drawers 14 and may be configured to slidably engage the drawermounts 50 installed in the chassis 12. Specifically, the drawer slides56 may include wheels, rails, protrusions, indentions, or other elementsconfigured for slidably engaging with the drawer mounts. When one of thedrawers 14 is slid into an open orientation, a user may access suppliestherein through the open top thereof. Likewise, when one of the drawers14 is slid into a closed orientation, a user is prevented from accessingsupplies therein through the top thereof. In some embodiments of theinvention, the drawer mounts 50 and drawer slides 56 may be configuredto be interchangeable so that any drawer slide 56 can slidably engageany drawer mount 50, allowing for a variety of drawer sizes andconfigurations.

In some embodiments of the invention, one or more of the drawers 14 mayinclude a lock 58. The lock 58 may be shiftable between a locked andunlocked position. When the lock 58 is in the locked position, itprevents its drawer 14 from opening. When in the unlocked position, thelock 58 allows its drawer 14 to open. The lock 58 may be any lockingmechanism, such as a lock-and-key system, a digital lock, a magneticlock, or any drawer-locking device known in the art for preventingunauthorized access to one or more of the drawers 14.

The temperature-regulated compartment 16 may be provided for storingmedical items that have temperature-related sensitivities, such ascontainers of blood for transfusions, intravenous fluids, prescriptiondrugs, or other medication. The temperature-regulated compartment 16 mayinclude a storage space 60, a lock 62, temperature-regulating unit 64such as a heating unit and/or a cooling unit, and drawer slides 56. Thedrawer slides 56 of the compartment 16 are interchangeable like thedrawer slides 56 of the drawers 14 so that a user can insert thetemperature-regulated compartment 16 in different configurationsaccording to his or her requirements. For example, the cart 10 couldhave a single compartment 16, multiple compartments 16, or none.Alternatively, the temperature-regulated compartment 16 may include anopen front, a door 66 openable for accessing items in thetemperature-regulated compartment 16.

The heating unit may be any type of device that increases thetemperature of the space in the compartment 16, such as a radiator, heatexchanger, heating element, fan, filament, and the like. The coolingunit may include a compressor, condenser coils, evaporator coils, fans,pipes, valves, a thermostat for keeping the storage space 60 within apredetermined tolerance of user-selected temperature, and the like. Insome embodiments of the invention, the temperature-regulated compartment16 may additionally or alternatively include a freezer or any othercooling compartment known in the art for cooling supplies therein. Somecomponents of the temperature-regulated compartment 16 may beelectrically coupled to the power source, providing electrical power foroperation thereof.

The door 66 may be pivotally attached to the storage space 60 or mayinclude a drawer shiftable between an open and a closed position. Forexample, the door 66 may be a drawer including a front wall with ahandle 68 attached thereto or integrally formed therewith, a back wallopposite the front wall, two opposing side walls extending between thefront and back walls thereof, and a bottom wall, cooperatively forming acontainer with an open top. The lock 62 is shiftable between a lockedposition and an unlocked position. In the locked position, the lock 62may prevent the door 66 from opening, while in the unlocked position,the lock 62 may allow the door 66 to open. The lock 62 may be anylocking mechanism known in the art, such as a lock-and-key system, adigital lock, a magnetic lock, or any locking device known in the artfor preventing unauthorized access to contents within the storage space60 of the temperature-regulated compartment 16.

The locking bar 18 is provided as an additional security measure forsecuring all the drawers 14 and temperature-regulated compartments 16 intheir closed positions. The locking bar 18 may include a flange 70,hinges 72, and a locking mechanism 74. The flange 70 may be a long, flatstrip of rigid material or may be a long, right-angled strip of rigidmaterial. The flange 70 may substantially extend an entire height of thechassis 12 or otherwise span a distance of a plurality of the drawers 14and/or the temperature-regulated compartment 16. In some embodiments,the flange 70 may be pivotally attached at or proximate to a corner ofthe chassis 12 where one of the side walls 40,42 connects with the frontwall 36. The flange 70 may be pivotally attached to the chassis 12 viathe hinges 72, and may be pivotally actuatable between a blockingorientation blocking the drawers 14 and the temperature-regulatedcompartment door 66 from opening, and a non-blocking orientation thatdoes not block the drawers 14 and temperature-regulated compartment door66 from opening. The hinges 72 may be any jointed or flexible mechanicaldevice known in the art for allowing pivoting about a pivot point.Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments of the invention, thelocking bar 18 may be pivotally attached to a rod or rigid elongatedcylinder and pivots about an axis thereof.

The locking mechanism 74 may include a lock-and-key system, a digitallock, a keypad, a magnetic lock, and/or any device known in the art forselectively preventing pivoting of the flange 70 about the hinges 72.For example, the locking mechanism 74 may be any keypad known in theart, such as a digital keypad, a combination lock, a set of combinationdiscs, or the like. The locking mechanism 74 may be actuatable betweenan engaged position and a disengaged position using a key, keycard,security code, mechanical actuation, or the like. The flange 70 mayfreely pivot toward and away from the drawers 14 and the front wall 36of the chassis 12 about the hinges 72 when the locking mechanism 74 isin the disengaged position. When the flange 70 is pivoted flush againstfront walls of the drawers 14 and the front wall 36 of the chassis 12,the locking mechanism 74 may be placed into the engaged position, suchthat the flange 70 is prevented from pivoting. Likewise, when thelocking mechanism 74 is engaged and the flange 70 is prevented frompivoting, the drawers 14 and/or the temperature-regulated compartmentdoor 66 are all simultaneously prevented from opening.

The headwall mount 20 may be provided for hanging various medical itemssuch as suction cups, breast pumps, IV fluid bags, and other medicalitems normally supported on a free-standing pole in hospital rooms. Theheadwall mount 20 may include a primary pole 76 fixed to the chassis 12,a crossbar 78 fixed at or proximate to a top of the primary pole 76, andone or more hooks 80 onto which IV bags or the like may be attached. Theheadwall mount 20 may be vertically adjustable via a height adjustmentmechanism, such as a telescoping mechanism or other mechanicalelongation or actuation mechanisms known in the art. For example, theprimary pole 76 may include a top portion slidably actuatable relativeto a bottom portion fixed to the chassis 12.

The display 22 may be provided for presenting information to a user. Thedisplay 22 may be fixed or adjustably attached to the chassis 12 or theheadwall mount 20 and may be configured for receiving signals from theportable ultrasound machine via a communication cable or other wirelesscommunication devices. In general, the display 22 may comprise anelectronic graphical interface operable to display visual graphics,images, video, text, etc. in response to external or internal processesand commands. For example, the display 22 may comprise conventionalblack and white, monochrome, or color display elements including CRT,TFT, LCD, and/or LED display devices. Further, the display 22 maycomprise wired or wireless data transfer elements and/or communicationports such as a removable memory, data transceivers, or the like, toenable the user and other devices or parties to communicate with thedisplay 2. In particular, the display 22 may include one or more portsconfigured for receiving and/or sending data from and to the portableultrasound machine or other electronic devices configured to outputdisplayable graphics, video, or other information.

The information may be related to a patient or group of patients, themedical supplies stored in the cart 10, the open/closed status of thedrawers 14 or temperature-regulated compartments 16, the locked/unlockedstatus of the drawer locks 58 or compartment locks 62 or the locking bar18, the temperature inside any temperature-regulated compartments 16, orany other information a user requires. The display 22 may include a portfor connecting to various devices, a user interface, a communicationelement, and a connector for connecting the display 22 to the powersource 26. The display 22 may be embodied as a personal computer such asa desktop workstation and/or laptop computer, smartphone, a tabletcomputer, phablet, wearable electronic, or the like.

The user interface may comprise one or more functionable inputs such asbuttons, switches, scroll wheels, a touch screen associated with thedisplay 22, voice recognition elements such as a microphone, pointingdevices such as mice, touchpads, tracking balls, styluses, cameras suchas a digital still or video camera, combinations thereof, or the like.For example, the display 22 may include or may be integrated with atouch screen display configured to enable a user to interact with thedisplay by touching or pointing at display areas to provide information,make selections, and/or label something on the screen. In someembodiments of the invention, the user interface of the display 22 maycomprise a pointer (e.g., stylus). Specifically, a position andorientation of the pointer may be tracked, as later described herein, sothat when a user points at a particular area on the display,corresponding markings or labeling may be presented on the display 22.

In some embodiments, the user may also input information through ascanner 82, as shown in FIG. 1. The scanner 82 may be provided forscanning objects such as medical supplies, RFID tags, bar codes, QRcodes, hospital wristbands, and the like. The scanner 82 scans one ofthe objects, extracts information embedded on the object, and transmitsit to the display 22. In some embodiments, the scanner 82 may utilizewired or wireless communication with the display 22.

The task light 24 may be any light adjustably fixed to the chassis 12,and may be articulated to a particular height, angle, and orientation toassist medical personnel. The task light 24 may include a light bulb,electrical cords or connectors providing electricity from the powersource 26 to the lightbulb, and an adjustable, jointed, and/or bendablelight stand fixed to the chassis 12. For example, the task light standmay include three or four articulating joints for positioning the tasklight 24 as needed during procedures. The task light stand may be fixedto the chassis 12 at or proximate to the back wall 36 thereof, and/or ator proximate to one of the side walls 40,42 thereof.

The power source 26 may include one or more rechargeable batteries, acapacitor, an uninterruptible power supply (UPS), or the like. The powersource 26 may be electrically coupled with the task light 24, thetemperature-regulated compartment 16, and the display 22, as well asother sensors, displays, and medical devices incorporated into the cart10. For example, the power source 26 may also be electrically coupledwith a portable ultrasound machine to provide power thereto. The powersource 26 may be positioned within the chassis 12 and may be secured ina tray 84 mounted to the base 32 of the chassis 12, between the drawers14 and the back wall 36 of the chassis 12. The power source 26 mayinclude a plurality of outlets 86 configured for receiving standardelectrical plugs, such that the temperature-regulated compartment 16,task light 24, display 22, and the like may be plugged directly therein.Furthermore, a power strip 88 or other collection of power outlets maybe plugged into or electrically coupled to the power source 26 and thenfixed and presented through an opening of the back wall 36 of thechassis 12, such that other electrical tools or accessories, beyondthose integrated into the cart 10, may access the power source 26 asneeded.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the cart 10 may furtherinclude a scale 90. The scale 90 may be any scale known in the art witha scale-weighing surface 92 and a digital or mechanical display 94configured to output the weight of any solid or liquid placed on thescale weighing surface 92. The scale 90 may generally have an overalllow profile to allow the scale 90 to fit within one of the drawers 14.In some embodiments of the invention, the scale weighing surface 92 maybe a flat square, rectangular, or circular platform. However, the scale90 may have other shapes and configurations without departing from thescope of the invention. In some embodiments of the invention, thescale-weighing surface 92 may include a clamping device 96 for an opentopped-enclosure, or alternatively may include a bowl, container, orprotruding platform edges configured for preventing blood from drippingoff sides of the scale-weighing surface.

The scale 90 may be mounted in one of the supply drawers 14, describedabove, referred to hereinafter as a scale drawer 98. The scale drawer 98may extend outward through an opening in one of the side walls 40,42 ofthe chassis 12, such that other drawers 14 are not blocked while thescale 90 is being accessed, as shown in FIG. 5. For example, one of thedrawers 14 may slide in and out of the chassis 12 along a first axis andthe scale drawer 98 may slide in and out of the chassis 12 along asecond axis that is substantially perpendicular to the first axis. Thescale's low profile prevents the scale 90 from interfering with openingor closing of the scale drawer 98. The scale drawer 98 may include atranslucent sidewall, a window 100, or an opening formed therethrough,providing a window viewable from the front of the chassis 12 when thescale drawer 98 is open. This allows a user to view the scale's display94 during use, while the scale 90 remains in the open scale drawer 98.Alternatively, the scale 90 may be electrically coupled with a remotedisplay (not shown) mounted or integrated into the front wall 38 of thechassis 12 or a front wall of one of the drawers 14 without departingfrom the scope of the invention, such that the scale drawer 98 does notrequire the window 100 or translucent sidewall in order to read thescale 90 reading. In other embodiments of the invention, the scale 90may communicate directly or wirelessly with other electronic devices ordisplays, transmitting the weight sensed by the scale thereto, withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention.

In some embodiments of the invention, the cart 10 may further include adisposable container 102 including an open-topped enclosure 104, such asa tray or bucket, and a disposable hazardous waste bag 106 integral withthe open-topped enclosure 104, as shown in FIG. 6. For example, a bottomend of the bag 106 may be welded along a top edge of the open-toppedenclosure 104, with the remainder of the bag 106 contained inside theopen-topped enclosure 104, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. The open-toppedenclosure 104 may be attached to the scale weighing surface 92 after thescale drawer 98 is pulled out. This attachment may be accomplished usingthe clamping device 96, a locking mechanism, integrally-formedattachment components or protrusions, or any mechanical attachmentsknown in the art, so that the open-topped enclosure 104 does not moveduring procedures. For example, the scale weighing surface 92 mayinclude an upward-protruding clamping device sized and shaped to lockand secure the open-topped enclosure 104 to the scale weighing surface92.

In use, a user may insert different-sized drawers 14 on the cart 10,depending on the user's needs or preferences. For example, if a userrequires a certain number of larger drawers 14 on the cart 10 for aparticular use, the user may insert a combination of drawers 14 thatincludes that number of larger drawers 14, along with however manysmaller drawers 14 or compartments 16 that the user requires. When theuser no longer wants the cart 10 for that particular use, the user canremove some or all of the drawers 14 and replace them with a differentdrawer 14 configuration.

A user may take advantage of the rising heat generated from atemperature-regulated compartment 16 having a cooling unit to create amore efficient cart 10 configuration. The user could accomplish this byplacing a temperature-regulated compartment 16 having a heating unitdirectly above the temperature-regulated compartment 16 having thecooling unit. By using the generated heat rising from the cooling unit,the heating unit need not be activated as much and therefore uses lessenergy.

The user may utilize the cart 10 while the power source 26 is pluggedinto a wall outlet, or the user may disconnect the power source 26 andmove the cart 10 elsewhere. Even when disconnected, the power source 26provides power to the compartments 16, the display 22, the task light24, and any other device requiring power.

The user may secure the drawers 14 and temperature-regulatedcompartments 16 by placing their respective locks 58, 62 in the lockedposition. The user may further secure the drawers 14 andtemperature-regulated compartments 16 by placing the locking bar 18 inthe locked position. Alternatively, for efficiency purposes, the usermay keep the respective locks 58, 62 of the drawers 14 andtemperature-regulated compartments 16 in their unlocked positions forquick access, while maintaining one level of security by placing thelocking bar 18 in its locked position. The user may access the contentswithin a drawer 14 or temperature-regulated compartment 16 by unlockingthe locking bar 18, and then unlocking the lock 58, 62 of the drawer 14or temperature-regulated compartment 16 having the desired contents.

The user may load medical supplies into the drawers 14 ortemperature-regulated compartments 16 by scanning a barcode, RFID tag,or QR code located on that item using the scanner 82. The informationreceived by the scanner 82 is then displayed on the screen, and mayinclude storage instructions, shelf-life, expiration date, intendedpatient, prescribing doctor, or the like. The user may then place theitem in a drawer 14 or temperature-regulated compartment 16 based onthat information. The user may then indicate that the item is “checkedin” on the cart 10 through the user interface or an input device. Theelectronic device 22 may then communicate with an external device thatthe item is checked in on that cart 10. A user may “check out” an itemby removing it from its drawer 14 or temperature-regulated compartment16, scanning it with the scanner 82, reviewing the information receivedby the scanner 82 as displayed on the display 22, and then deliveringthe item based on that information.

Although the invention has been described with reference to theembodiments illustrated in the attached drawing figures, it is notedthat equivalents may be employed and substitutions made herein withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention as recited in the claims.

Having thus described various embodiments of the invention, what isclaimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent includesthe following:
 1. A medical cart for transporting medical supplies, thecart comprising: a chassis having a plurality of wheels attachedthereto; a plurality of drawers supported on the chassis, wherein atleast one of the drawers is slidable along a first axis toward thechassis to a closed orientation and slidable away from the chassis alongthe first axis to an open configuration, and wherein at least one of thedrawers has a drawer lock shiftable between a locked position in whichit secures the drawer in the closed orientation and an unlocked positionin which it allows the drawer to be in the open configuration; aplurality of drawer mounts disposed on interior surfaces of the chassis;a plurality of interchangeable drawer slides attached to the pluralityof drawers and removably attachable to the plurality of drawer mounts sothat the drawer slides may be placed on different mounts therebyallowing different-sized drawers to be mounted to the chassis; and atemperature-regulated compartment mounted within the chassis, thetemperature-regulated compartment having a storage space with a door, alock shiftable between a locked position in which it prevents the doorfrom opening and an unlocked position in which it allows the door toopen, and a temperature-regulating unit that regulates a temperature ofthe storage space at a predetermined temperature.
 2. The medical cart ofclaim 1, further comprising a digital keypad operably coupled with thelock of the temperature-regulated compartment.
 3. The medical cart ofclaim 1, further comprising a locking bar pivotally attached to thechassis and shiftable between a locked position in which it preventsopening of the drawers and the door of the temperature-regulatedcompartment and an unlocked position in which it allows the drawers toopen when the drawer locks are in their unlocked positions and allowsthe door of the temperature-regulated compartment to open when the doorlock is in its unlocked position so that the locking bar serves as asecondary safety lock for all the drawers and the door of thetemperature-regulated compartment.
 4. The medical cart of claim 3,further comprising a digital keypad mounted on the locking bar.
 5. Themedical cart of claim 1, further comprising a headwall mount attached tothe chassis, the headwall mount having a vertically-adjustable bar and ahorizontal cross bar.
 6. The medical cart of claim 1, further comprisinga display attached to the chassis.
 7. The medical cart of claim 6,further comprising a scanner electrically coupled to the display,wherein the scanner scans an item and sends data embedded on the item tothe display, which displays the data.
 8. The medical cart of claim 6,further comprising a communication element that receives data from thedisplay or a data input device and transmits the data to a remotenetwork.
 9. The medical cart of claim 1, further comprising apositionable task light attached to the chassis, the task light having adeformable body portion and a light source.
 10. The medical cart ofclaim 6, the temperature-regulated compartment further includes a sensorthat detects a temperature inside the storage space, the sensor beingelectrically coupled to the temperature-regulating unit and the display,and the display displays the temperature.
 11. The medical cart of claim1, wherein the temperature-regulating unit is a cooling unit and/or aheating unit.
 12. The medical cart of claim 1, wherein one of theplurality of drawers is a warming drawer positioned above thetemperature-regulated compartment, the warming drawer having— a lockshiftable between a locked position in which it prevents the warmingdrawer from opening and an unlocked position in which it allows thewarming drawer to open; a warming unit that regulates a temperatureinside the warming drawer at a predetermined temperature; and atemperature sensor that detects the temperature inside the warmingdrawer.
 13. The medical cart of claim 1, further including a portable,rechargeable power source supported on the chassis.
 14. The medical cartof claim 13, wherein the power source is an uninterruptible powersupply.
 15. The medical cart of claim 1, the chassis further including atop surface comprised of antimicrobial material.
 16. The medical cart ofclaim 1, further including a handle attached to the chassis andcomprised of an antimicrobial material.
 17. The medical cart of claim 1,further comprising a procedure shelf pivotably attached to the chassis.18. A medical cart for transporting medical supplies, the cartcomprising: a chassis having a plurality of wheels attached thereto; aplurality of drawers supported on the chassis, wherein at least one ofthe drawers is slidable along a first axis toward the chassis to aclosed orientation and slidable away from the chassis along the firstaxis to an open configuration; a plurality of drawer mounts disposed oninterior surfaces of the chassis; a plurality of interchangeable drawerslides attached to the plurality of drawers and removably attachable tothe plurality of drawer mounts so that the drawer slides may be placedon different mounts thereby allowing different-sized drawers to bemounted to the chassis; a scale drawer slidably operable along a secondaxis that is substantially perpendicular to the first axis; and a scalesupported in the scale drawer for weighing materials to determine bloodlost by a patient during a medical procedure, the scale having aweighing surface and a display.
 19. A medical cart for transportingmedical supplies, the cart comprising: a chassis having a plurality ofwheels attached thereto; a plurality of drawers supported on thechassis, wherein at least one of the drawers is slidable along a firstaxis toward the chassis to a closed orientation and slidable away fromthe chassis along the first axis to an open configuration and has adrawer lock shiftable between a locked position in which it secures thedrawer in the closed orientation and an unlocked position in which itallows the drawer to be in the open configuration; a plurality of drawermounts disposed on interior surfaces of the chassis; a plurality ofinterchangeable drawer slides attached to the plurality of drawers andremovably attachable to the plurality of drawer mounts so that thedrawer slides may be placed on different mounts thereby allowingdifferent-sized drawers to be mounted to the chassis; atemperature-regulated compartment having a storage space with a door, alock shiftable between a locked position in which it prevents the doorfrom opening and an unlocked position in which it allows the door toopen, and a temperature-regulating unit that regulates a temperature ofthe storage space at a predetermined temperature; and a locking barpivotally attached to the chassis and shiftable between a lockedposition in which it prevents opening of the drawers and the door of thetemperature-regulated compartment and an unlocked position in which itallows the drawers to open when the drawer locks are in their unlockedpositions and allows the door to open when the door lock is in itsunlocked position so that the locking bar serves as a secondary safetylock for all the drawers and the door of the temperature-regulatedcompartment.
 20. The medical cart of claim 19, further comprising aheadwall mount attached to the chassis, the headwall mount having avertically-adjustable bar and a horizontal cross bar; a display attachedto the chassis; a positionable task light attached to the chassis havinga deformable body portion, and a light source; and a digital keypadmounted on the locking bar.
 21. The medical cart of claim 20, furthercomprising a scanner electrically coupled to the display, wherein thescanner scans an item and sends data embedded on the item to the displaywhich displays the data; and a communication element positioned on thechassis that receives data from the display or a data input device andtransmits the data to a remote network.
 22. The medical cart of claim20, the temperature-regulated compartment further includes a sensor thatdetects a temperature inside the storage space, the sensor beingelectrically coupled to the temperature-regulating unit and the display,and the display displays the temperature.
 23. The medical cart of claim19, wherein the temperature-regulating unit is a cooling unit and/or aheating unit.
 24. The medical cart of claim 19, wherein one of theplurality of drawers is a warming drawer positioned above thetemperature-regulated compartment, the warming drawer having a lockshiftable between a locked position in which it prevents the warmingdrawer from opening and an unlocked position in which it allows thewarming drawer to open; a warming unit that regulates a temperatureinside the warming drawer at a predetermined temperature; and atemperature sensor that detects the temperature inside the warmingdrawer.
 25. The medical cart of claim 19, further including a portable,rechargeable uninterruptible power supply supported on the chassis. 26.The medical cart of claim 19, the chassis further including a topsurface comprised of antimicrobial material and a handle attached to thechassis and comprised of an antimicrobial material.